Pats pick up 2012 2nd rounder Worthy from Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The New England Patriots have acquired injured lineman Jerel Worthy from the Green Bay Packers in a trade pending a physical for the defensive end.

Worthy's agent, Chafie Fields, said Wednesday the deal was conditional. Packers general manager Ted Thompson declined comment, citing "agreements with other teams and things like that."

Fields wrote on Twitter Tuesday night, "Will help Pats D-line right away."

Worthy had been placed on the non-football injury list. He spent much of 2013 on injured reserve with a knee injury.

The Packers traded up in the 2012 draft to take Worthy in the second round out of Michigan State. He had 2 1/2 sacks and 23 tackles in 14 games that season, starting four.

Worthy apparently wasn't aware he about to be traded when speaking to reporters Tuesday afternoon, saying Thompson had "a great plan for me."

"I've done everything that I can possibly do with the training staff and with the strength and conditioning guys. They've done a great job of prepping me for this moment,' Worthy said Tuesday at his locker, "I've just got to trust the process."

Of the eight players drafted by the Packers in 2012, three remain on the roster: first-round linebacker Nick Perry, second-round cornerback Casey Hayward and fourth-round defensive lineman Mike Daniels.

"You can go back in history and look at draft classes for a lot of teams ... and go, this was good, this was bad," Thompson said. "If you can get a couple good ones, that's usually a good class."